Spain steps up to host climate summit, but fate of APEC meeting unknown
Canada won't host either conference after Chile withdraws due to ongoing political unrest
Spain has stepped up to host the COP25 climate-change summit, but no country has offered to be the venue for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) trade summit.
Canada will not backfill for Chile, which withdrew as host for both conferences as it struggles with riots and mass protests over economic inequality.
Spain announced today that it will host the climate summit in Madrid in December, but there is no word on the fate of the APEC forum that had been scheduled for mid-November.
Chilean President Sebastian Piñera announced Wednesday that his country would not host the forums due to ongoing unrest in his country.
Caroline Theriault, a spokeswoman for Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna, said Canada had no plan to host the COP25 summit, but said such conferences are "essential in our global fight against climate change."
"Our focus remains on delivering the clear mandate Canadians elected this Parliament to work on," she said in an email.
Large international summits such as these require significant infrastructure and security planning.
A government official speaking on background said organizing a climate conference takes between one and two years and involves 10,000 to 20,000 people. Taking that on with just four weeks to go, immediately after a federal election, presented "unrealistic timelines."
Protesters in Chile have been making demands for better pay, pensions, schools, housing and medical care. While most demonstrations have been peaceful, some have led to deadly riots and looting.
Piñera responded by pulling back a planned fare increase for subways and boosting pensions and the minimum wage.